$640 lost at courthouse was claimed by wrong man

Sheriff's deputies said $640 lost by a man who went to the Allegheny County courthouse to pay child support has been "found" -- illegally -- by the wrong man.

Allegheny County Sheriff's Lt. Jack Kearney said a man mistakenly forgot the envelope containing the money when he emptied his pockets to go through a metal detector at the courthouse in Pittsburgh on Friday.

“There was a little envelope with $640 inside,” Allegheny County Sheriff William Mullen said.

According to Mullen, there was a commotion at the conveyer belt when scissors were found inside a woman’s purse. He thinks that caused the man to forget the envelope in the bin.

About 90 minutes later, the man to whom the money belonged returned later to claim it, only to learn that it had been given to someone else.

“Between the time he left and the time he came back down, one of the guards found the money, announced it and an individual claimed the money was his,” Mullen said.

Deputies are reviewing court logs and surveillance video to determine who illegally claimed the money. That person could be charged with theft.